Report from Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, Addresses Customs and Border Protection's Implementation of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative at Land Ports of Entry

From the Executive Summary:

The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative requires citizens of the United States, Canada, Bermuda, and Mexico arriving at land ports of entry to present passports or other approved documents to enter the United States. Although the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative became effective at land ports on June 1, 2009, Customs and Border Protection is not fully enforcing the new document requirement. Customs and Border Protection is using informed compliance procedures to educate noncompliant travelers about the new document requirement. Customs and Border Protection is reporting an average compliance rate of 96% at its land border crossings. ....

Customs and Border Protection is not prepared to fully enforce the new document requirement at land ports of entry. Although Customs and Border Protection has acquired and deployed substantial technological tools to aid in inspecting travelers, Customs and Border Protection has not analyzed the impact that a substantial increase in secondary inspection workload will have on secondary inspection staffing and infrastructure during full enforcement. The reported Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative compliance rates during the initial eight-month informed compliance period indicate noncompliant travelers arriving at the agency's 39 busiest land ports may increase the secondary inspection workloads at these ports by an average of 73% if all noncompliant travelers required secondary inspections.

The agency has not finalized the operating procedures its officers will use to verify the identity and citizenship of noncompliant travelers. ....

Visit the US Department of Homeland Security website to read the entire report.

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For additional resources, read:

Documentary Requirements; Visa Waiver Program (2-12 Immigration Law and Procedure § 12.04)
BITS AND PIECES, 14-6 Bender's Immigr. Bull. 6 (2009)
Ensuring Homeland Security While Facilitating Legitimate Travel, 13-7 Bender's Immigr. Bull. 4 (2008)